General Info

The Cats Unlimited Wildlife Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and its habitat in the Khomas Hochland area, central Namibia.

Over the past years we have succesfully re-introduced game species such as giraffe, oryx, impala and white rhino on our grounds. Our aim is to further restore, protect and research habitat and wildlife of the Khomas Hochland area so future generations can enjoy nature as well. With our volunteer expeditions we provide financial input and human resources that make conservation possible.

Join an Expedition

Volunteer with Cats Unlimited in Namibia and help protect the wildlife of Namibia. We organise expeditions for international volunteers to learn about the wildlife and help preserve it. You will join a small team of volunteers and participate in activities such as bush camping, animal tracking & monitoring, interact with animals, restore natural habitat and much more. 3-Week expeditions are organised throughout the year starting on a saturday.

Protecting Wildlife

Cats Unlimited works in central Namibia to actively research and protect large carnivores in order to ensure their survival in this region. Primary study species are Leopard, Cheetah and Brown Hyena. The populations of these carnivores have significantly decreased over the last decades due to conflicts with humans and loss of habitat. Most of Namibia's carnivores live on commercial farmlands which often results in conflict with cattle farmers.

Volunteer role

Cats Unlimited expeditions have been developed to investigate and collect information about about wildlife, habitats, and to promote the natural biodiversity and scientific understanding of the Khomas Hochland region. This is important for the survival of animal species and to educate people living here about the natural environment .Volunteers play a vital role by gathering crucial biological data as well as carrying out maintenance within the Düsternbrook reserve. Data collected from the reserve is used and shared with other conservation institutions to develop a greater understanding of the Khomas Hochland Biome.

Volunteers will be placed in different positions such as:

* Collecting scientific data on animals. Tracking and monitoring collared animals in order to discover their ecology, establish their home range, food base, survival and check for any possible problems. Primarily we are focusing on leopards, cheetahs, brown hyena, but we will also look at all the other game in the area like: oryx, kudu, mountain zebras, white rhinos just to mention a few.
* Feeding injured animals in our enclosures which have been captured or brought to us by other farms could be possible, but is not our main focus. Sometimes animals can be released back into the wild while this is impossible for others, they have to be taken care of on a daily basis.
* Checking on box traps on the capture of new animals and if necessary they will be radio/gps-collared, examined and released back into the wild.
* Survey game populations, especially prey species, using different methods of game counts.
* Assisting on various wildlife related farm work like controlling and repairing fences, improving roads, but at the same time looking for spoors of any animal movements. Sometimes horses could be used to access certain areas.
* Teaching English to the staff children at our kindergarden which are between 3 and 6 years old.

Furthermore the volunteers will have various of other tasks they will have to perform towards themselves and other volunteers. Typical tasks volunteers are asked to carry out are:

* Preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner where ingredients are provided
* Maintenance of the volunteer camp
* Helping Cats Unlimited raise awareness by creating flyers and via your own network at home
* Learn how to build up and run a campsite in a remote area. Sleeping out can be a real exciting experience
* Learn how to change and fix a tyre, which is very important for any safari or outdoor activity

Placement Info

Worldwide many large mammals are facing extinction. The Khomas Hochland mountain range in Namibia has still a free ranging cheetah, leopard and brown hyena population and is thereby home to many the world’s only cheetahs, leopards and brown hyena’s. Most large carnivores in Namibia are found outside of the protected areas, on agricultural lands where they often come in conflict with farmers and local communities. In order to protect and to work towards a sustainable management of these species we initiated to research and protect these and other wildlife species and restore their habitat to ensure their survival in the region.

Our expeditions will start with a comprehensive introduction by your expedition manager, which is a qualified wildlife guide. With a small team of volunteers you will help to study wildlife populations and their ecology. The data you will collect is used to determine the best conservation action steps we have to take to ensure healthy wildlife populations now and in the future. Our expeditions are therefore the foundation of our conservation efforts. The project and volunteer contributions raise funds to help educate and train local people to become actively involved in wildlife conservation.